No doubt some of our more politically-active readers will be welcoming Sarkozy with a spot of May ’68 street-protesting. Well, enjoy your day out but be thankful that you’re protesting in Dublin and not Paris. Otherwise, you could be facing a stretch in a modern-day Bastille. We shall explain:

A French rapper called Poison is flirting with similar prosecution. He writes anti-president lyrics such as "anti-Sarko / anti-right / Nicolas don't you hear? / We're anti-you".

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Organisationally, Oxegen 2008 was one of the best music events this blog has ever attended. As this was the first festival it had ever attended as ‘working media’, Key Notes was pleasantly surprised at how respected media people (considering his own distaste for some of them). As soon as you flashed your white wristband you could almost kill someone and get away with it, in fact, so helpful were the stewards, they would probably have joined in.

However, outside all the great (and not so great) music, the most important lesson learned this weekend was that people still struggle to understand how you can watch the same act as them and come to a different conclusion. It’s amazing isn’t it? Having an independent thought and worse still, allowing it to escape, sends people into all sorts of apocalyptic convulsions. So what if Key Notes didn’t like the performance of your favourite band? Why would you let this blogs have any bearing on your enjoyment?

It’s not just anonymous online comments either. At the event lots of random punters, upon seeing his white wristband, would ask what Key Notes thought of a certain performance and then proceed to tell him he was wrong. How can an opinion be wrong? You might like The Ting Tings, but this blog don’t think the drummer can actually drum all that well. You may hate keyboards but Key Notes thought that Holy Fuck were one of the greatest bands he’s ever seen. It is an opinion, a subjective, emotionally based opinion, not fact, in much the same way Key Notes is of the opinion there is no nicer alcoholic beverage than Guinness but he knows this won’t stand up to scientific scrutiny. Why should music be any different?

Key Notes has written about this before and yet people still don’t seem to get it. Nobody can experience an event the way you did and likewise, Key Notes can only write reviews based on his own experience, nobody else’s. This blog is not a sheep, and will always write what he thinks and what he feels and never what he thinks people want to read.

Anyway, Key Notes really enjoyed Oxegen, how could he not? He saw some sparkling performances from the likes of Holy Fuck, Roisin Murphy and Hot Chip. He got to see pet hates like White Denim and The Prodigy crash and burn. Best of all he got to spend three days in the company of Mrs. Key Notes, surrounded by music and meeting interesting people, musicians and punters alike.

Oxegen 2008 really had everything; great organisation, clean toilets, organic tofu burgers and a wide spectrum of performances. So why can’t there be a wide spectrum of opinions?

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1) '99 Problems' by Jay-Z

2) 'Viva La Vida' by Coldplay

3) 'Why Must I Apologise' by Colm Lynch

4) 'Kids' by MGMT

5) 'River Song' by Dennis Wilson

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Oxegen 2008, Day 3 (live in Punchestown)

Review Snapshot: What could have been a great end to a festival turned out to be a rollercoaster of a day, with a lifeless finish that was not worth the wait. (Check out as well CLUAS.com's coverage of Day 1 and Day 2 of Oxegen 2008).

The Cluas Verdict? 8.5 out of 10

Full Review:
Sunday is allegedly a day of rest, but with the sun really shining for the first time in months, I made my way once again to Punchestown for the final day of Oxegen 2008. 

Fighting With Wire (IMRO New Sounds Stage)
It was fitting that a day that was due to end with pure unadulterated rock, started out the same way.  Fighting With Wire hail from Derry and their Man Vs Monster album made its way into my ears through a friend quite recently.  Liking the cut of their jib, I made my way to the IMRO tent for their early afternoon performance.  The tent was packed to capacity but, once again, the sound was awful, vastly inferior to every other stage.  That being said, the kind of noise these kids make doesn't need great sound quality and it was the perfect pick up for a day that had started very slowly (I blame the parking attendants!).

We Are Scientists (O2 Stage)
'I'd like to dedicate this song to my homies at the BAR BAR ID, where everyone truly does know your name' was just one of the surreal ramblings from We Are Scientists frontman, Keith Murray.  It was clear that the band were enjoying themselves in the Irish sun and it paid off in one of the most entertaining sets of the weekend.  The majority of songs were taken from the bands debut, With Love and Squalor, but recent single After Hours was also very well received.  You do have to wonder though about the sobriety of the people who agreed that the only reason they got into music in the first place was because of We Are Scientists.

Alabama 3 (Green Room)
Having made it my mission to see a band on every stage on the final day, I made my way into a rather full Green Room to catch Alabama 3 in the middle of their set.  The Brixton band, who still don't seem to have shaken off their tag of being 'that band with that song from the TV' had a rather large audience totally captivated.  Honestly though, their blend of what can only be described as a gospel/funk/soul/jazz, wasn't really to my taste.  Having three lead vocalists who don't contribute on the instrument side of things seems a little indulgent to me.

Kate Nash (O2 Stage)
While everyone else at Oxegen attended MGMT I bowed to pressure from my prettier plus one (who, in fairness, had to endure my whims all weekend) to go see Kate Nash.  Nash is a strange phenomenon.  There's talent there, that's without question, but she suffers from being thrown into the same 'mockney' bracket as Lily Allen and Jack Penate.  Supported by an excellent backing band, Nash rushed through songs from her debut Made of Bricks with very little audience interaction.  The biggest cheer of the set was reserved for Foundations which sparked a mass sing-along amongst the assembled teenage girls.  Kudos to Nash for having the best stage set-up of the weekend too.

Republic of Loose (O2 Stage)
'I hear it's going to be P-Diddy!'  'No man, it's definitely going to be Jay-Z.'  Such were the rumours spreading around the 02 stage as news filtered through that a huge, internationally known, hip-hop/rap star would be supporting the Loose in their rendition of I like Music (or Moo-zic as Mr. Pyro is want to sing it).  As it turns out, Styles P was the man in question but he added little to the set as Pyro already had the crowd enthralled with his charismatic stage presence.  Say what you like about their music, and I'm not a fan, but in Pyro Republic of Loose have one of Ireland's great entertainers and he made this one of the most enjoyable performances of the weekend.

Fight Like Apes (2FM New Band Stage)
So good were the Loose that I, along with an awful lot of other people, missed the start of Fight Like Apes.  I've often given this band a hard time as, previously, the hype surrounding them far exceeded their talents.  The gap is narrowing mind and this was as energetic a performance as you're likely to see.  In no other band could the keyboard player attack the lead singer, throwing her to the ground, and have the audience cheer him for it.  New single Something Global sounds amazing live but the biggest cheers were reserved for Lend me your Face and Do you Karate?  Fight Like Apes may be about to live up to their billing as the great white hope of Irish music.

Roisin Murphy (Pet Sounds)
This was, undoubtedly, the most surprising performance of the weekend.  I was expecting some backing tracks, a nice light show and Murphy miming along to her own lyrics.  Whatever, it was sure to be better than The Pogues or the Kaiser Chiefs.  I couldn't have been more wrong though (about the first part that is).  Focusing almost exclusively on tracks from the Choice nominated Overpowered album, Murphy wowed the mostly female audience with an energetic performance ably supported by a backing band that matched the quality of that album.  Now fewer than 6 costume changes later and Murphy was inviting us all back to party with her in 'Wickla', betraying her rural roots for the first time.  Well worth seeing again, though she does have the dubious honour of being the only act to refer to Punchestown as Dublin over the weekend. 

Rage Against the Machine (Main Stage)
Some of us have deadlines you know.  RATM obviously didn't consider this when they decided to start their set over 20 minutes late, by which time they'd lost a sizeable number of people to The Chemical Brothers light and sound spectacular over on the O2 stage.  Unperturbed, the band arrived on stage to Zack De La Rocha's simple words: 'Good evening. We are Rage Against The Machine and we are from Los Angeles', and launched into Testify.  Tom Morello made his guitar look like a child's toy, such is his capacity with the instrument, especially on Bulls on Parade.  The audience 'moshed' their drunken little hearts out for Bullet in the Head, while closing tracks Freedom and Killing in the Name were no doubt thrown in to ensure the audience went home happy.  I didn't however, as I found RATM to be at best, lifeless and at worst, disinterested.  Something about the main stage this weekend just drew the life out of some of my favourite acts and RATM were no different.  I knew I should have gone to The Chemical Brothers.

Steven O'Rourke

• Check out as well CLUAS.com's coverage of Day 1 and Day 2 of Oxegen 2008.

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When: 19th - 21st September 2008

Where: Bundoran, Co. Donegal

What: Sea Sessions Surf & Music Festival

Who: Aisan Dub Foundation, David Kitt, Belle & Sebastian, Republic of Loose etc

How much: €55.00

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In Paris, celebrations begin with the morning’s military parade down the Champs-Elysées and conclude tonight with a giant free concert on the Champ de Mars, the park at the feet of the Eiffel Tower. That concert features the worst of French MOR blandness; bloodless singer-songers like Christophe Mae, Raphael and Rose who we’re not even going to link to here. The pièce de résistance is none other than James Blunt. Surely there’s a ceremonial guillotine available for the day that’s in it?

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Review of the first day of Oxegen 2008

Review Snapshot:  Day 1 of Oxegen 2008 was a mix of the good, the bad, and the tuneless. (Check out as well CLUAS.com's coverage of Day 2 and Day 3 of Oxegen 2008).

The Cluas Verdict? 6 out of 10

Full Review: A festival is a difficult place for a humble gig reviewer.  So many acts, so little time and the weather can play an important role in what bands you end up seeing.  The weather forecast was gloomy but the sun shone as the first bands took to their respective stages and Oxegen 2008 began in earnest.

Future Kings of Spain (The O2 Stage)
A larger than expected crowd took advantage of a rare glimpse of sunshine to see the Future Kings of Spain.  They were rewarded with a storming set that was bookended by Guess Again and Syndicate, both taken from the bands most recent album Nervousystem.  It was interesting to see a band I've followed in smaller venues play such a big stage.  The sound quality was better than expected for a festival and the only complaint I could have was the carry over of sound from other stages between songs.

Battles (Pet Sounds)
After the recent review of Battles that caused such a stir on CLUAS, I just had to check them out.  Apparently everyone else at Oxegen did too as the Pet Sounds tent was full to capacity.  Battles are a curious lot, it's dance music for people who don't like dance music and experimental, instrumental indie rock for people who don't like experimental, instrumental indie rock.  I'm afraid I have to agree with the last two reviews of Battles on CLUAS and say I was more bored than overawed.  The people taking ecstasy in front of me seemed to enjoy it though, maybe that's the secret? 

Bryn Christopher (2FM New Band Stage)
At every festival you find an act you had no intention of seeing but stumble across by mistake and end up really enjoying.  It's hard to put a tag on the sort of music Christopher and his band make. It's a blend of funky pop all beautifully complimented by Christopher's wonderful voice.  Definitely one to check out in the future.

Editors (Main Stage)
When I first saw the line up, I was very surprised to see Editors and Interpol side by side on the main stage as they are, well, essentially the same band.  However, quite a large crowd braved the intermittent rain to check out Editors blend of sub-Joy Division indie pop.  Songs such as An End Has A Start and new single Push Your Head Towards the Air were well received by a crowd who were clearly starting to 'enjoy' themselves more and more.  For me, it was all very dull and the band seemed a little bored and it showed in their performance.

The Metros (2FM New Band Stage)
I'll be honest, I only came into the 2fm stage to avoid the rain.  The highlight of the next 40 minutes was watching the stewards throw RedBull Cola over a kissing couple to separate them, in much the same way people throw water over mating dogs.  The music?  A bland, generic Specials tribute.

Interpol (Main Stage)
The best I can say about Interpol is that they were slightly more animated than the last time I watched them.  They weren't much better however and, despite rousing performances of Evil and Mammoth, they failed to engage a crowd who, like myself, looked sorry they hadn't gone to see the Go! Team.

Kings of Leon (Main Stage)
I'm often criticised for saying - with tongue firmly in cheek - that I prefer bands earlier stuff.  It's a standing joke, but it has some truth when it comes to the Kings of Leon.  Their success over the past couple of years, especially on these shores, has been nothing short of phenomenal.  For me, KoL have never reached the heights of Youth and Young Manhood.  Therefore, Molly's Chambers was the highlight of my evening but everyone else seemed to enjoy a set that consisted mainly of songs from Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times.  For me though, Kings of Leon haven't been the same since Caleb Followill shaved his beard and cut his hair.

Steven O'Rourke

• Check out as well CLUAS.com's coverage of Day 2 and Day 3 of Oxegen 2008.

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Oxegen Day 2 (live in Punchestown, Co. Kildare)

Review Snapshot: The weatherman promised us a day full of sunshine, one where we would need our sun-cream as opposed to our wellies.  He was wrong, but then again, that's not surprising.  It wasn't so bad though as it meant I had to spend most of the day in the tent stages, where some sparkling performances shone brighter than any sun. (Check out as well CLUAS.com's coverage of Day 1 and Day 3 of Oxegen 2008).

The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10

Full Review:
Concerto For Constantine (Green Room)
How is it possible for three people to make so much noise, so early in the day?  Concerto for Constantine have evolved from being JJ72 part two into a band that's so much more comfortable in it's own skin.  They (being the veritable supergroup of ex JJ72 frontman Mark Greaney, Idlewild’s Gavin Fox and Binzer of The Frames and Bell X1 fame) have a presence on stage that leaves you feeling you are watching a band destined for greatness.  It's a pity more people didn't turn up to see them, because they were the highlight of the weekend for me.

Delays / Brian Jonestown Massacre (Green Room)
My craving for an organic tofu burger (CLUAS verdict: 9 out of 10) resulted in me missing all but the last two Delays songs.  Mores the pity, their energetic performance had the large crowd dancing and singing.  The same could not be said for the Brian Jonestown Massacre.  Don't get me wrong, they were excellent, but coming on 10 minutes late, and constant problems with equipment resulted in more people leaving than entering the tent to see who was on.  A very entertaining band nonetheless and possibly deserving of a bigger stage.

The Ting Tings  (Green Room)
Wow.  Now here's a sound that's going to get old fast.  I'm sure at this stage you know the basic premise for The Ting Tings, a drummer and a female vocalist who sometimes plays guitar.  You wouldn't think it would take 35 minutes to soundcheck them would it?  It did and in that time the Green Room filled beyond capacity (helped by the downpour outside) and people were forced to watch/listen from outside.  It certainly wasn't worth it.  This band are so incredibly limited that they struggle to justify their own existence.  Aside from some catchy singles there really is no substance to this band.

Counting Crows (Main Stage)
Dishevelled, out of time and generally rubbish.  I thought I'd be writing those words about Amy Winehouse, but the prize for performance enhancing set of the weekend goes to the Counting Crows.  I can't begin to describe how bad they were.

Holy Fuck (2FM New Band Stage)
I'll be honest, I only went to Holy Fuck for the opportunity to tell people I was going to see Holy Fuck.  However, I was rewarded with a set that put Battles performance of the previous day to shame.  Holy Fuck are their keyboards and they make instrumental music they way I should be, catchy, engaging and with room for improvisation, unlike Battles brand of cold, music by maths.

Vampire Weekend (Green Room)
An incredible performance by New York's current greatest export.  I wasn't there for Arcade Fire's now legendary set at Electric Picnic, but having witnessed this it's not difficult to imagine.  This band have perfected the art of crowd interaction and audience participation and the result is a performance that allows the joy of their eponymous record to translate quite easily to the live arena.  If any band this weekend was deserving of a bigger stage this weekend it was Vampire Weekend. 

Seasick Steve (Pet Sounds stage)
How can someone with a box and a three string guitar generate such a crowd?  Chants of 'Seasick Steve, Seasick Steve' rang around the Pet Sounds tent for a full ten minutes before his performance.  It was a raucous performance that left the crowd begging for more.  It's just a pity I couldn't understand a word he was saying.  That being said, his blend of hillbilly rock speaks for itself.  A great performance.

CODES (IMRO New Sounds Stage)
Having spent so long singing this band's praises, and indeed telling everyone who asked (and some who didn't) where to be at 9.15 meant I was probably as nervous about CODES performance as the band themselves.  I really believe CODES are one of Ireland's best bands but the sound quality in the IMRO tent was so below par that it didn't do the band justice.  Unless you knew the words of the songs, it was very difficult to hear anything frontman Daragh Anderson was saying.  The songs are there, the performance is there, it's just a pity the arena let them down.

Hot Chip (Pet Sounds stage)
A great way to end the evening.  The best review I can give of Hot Chip is that they had me dancing, which is some achievement considering I was sober.  A very mixed crowd, some of whom actually thought they were at the Chemical Brothers, were treated to a set that consisted mostly of tracks from the bands Made in the Dark record.  They finished the evening with a surprise cover of 'Nothing Compares to You'. Hot Chip - a band I would love to see in a more intimate venue.

Steven O'Rourke

• Check out as well CLUAS.com's coverage of Day 1 and Day 3 of Oxegen 2008.

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